2. Contact Info

3. Dealer Selection

After the Scion FR-S, Toyota is far from done making fun and sporty cars. According to Toyota engineer Tetsuya Tada, the man largely responsible for developing the Toyobaru 2+2 triplets, successors to the Supra and the MR2 remain possibilities in the automaker’s future.

It’s no secret that Toyota president Akio Toyoda has been pushing for a new Supra. During a recent interview with Singapore-based AsiaOne.com, Tada admitted that Toyoda has asked him to spearhead the project and develop the Supra successor “as soon as possible.” How soon? He claims it won’t be ready for at least five years, which is about how long it took him to develop the Toyota 86. Less sporty mainstream cars may take about three years in development, but Tada notes that sometimes sports cars need “special parts,” which extends the process to about five years.

Plans for the MR2 are less clear. Tada says the next MR2 would likely launch after the Supra and would slot below the Toyota 86 in the automaker’s sports car hierarchy. That said, it will likely retain its mid-engine, rear-drive layout with power coming from a naturally aspirated inline-four. Tada claims the Supra and MR2 mark the automaker’s renewed focus beyond selling cars simply for volume and profit.

“So this is a new business model,” Tada said to AsiaOne.com. “When customers buy a car, it creates a new bond between the manufacturer and the owner – we do not just profit from selling the car.”

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